Last Tuesday late in the evening, the Special Committee on Terrorism, which was formed in the European Parliament in response to a growing number of terrorist attacks in Europe over the past years, addressed a report that provides for a series of measures, proposals and recommendations for Member States on effective fight against terrorism.
Members of the European People’s Party who have taken part in this committee want to ensure that Member States share information, that the financing of terrorism is consistently blocked and that victims and their families are protected.
MEP Milan Zver, who is also a member of the TERR committee, importantly participated in the preparation of the report, with his discussions and very concrete proposals for solutions.
In debates at committee meetings and in the report itself, the MEP has repeatedly stated that he is concerned about the findings on increasing frequency of large money laundering activities as a source of terrorist financing through some banking institutions in the euro area.
He pointed out the case of money laundering in Slovenian largest state-owned bank, NLB, and, on the basis of this case, proposed the so-called “Slovenian amendment” to the report on the fight against terrorism.
The report also calls for the establishment of a European Union system for following the funding of terrorist activities for transactions by individuals linked to terrorism and its funding, within a single euro payments area, to complement the US Terrorist Finance Tracking Program.
In the light of questions about terrorism, MEPs also discussed the problem of mass migration. It is a well-known fact that quite a few individuals who have committed terrorist acts in various European cities in recent years have come to Europe through one of the migrant routes, some also across the Balkans.
That’s why Milan Zver together with his Austrian counterparts, and, unlike some Slovenian colleagues from the left parties, called for a more strict treatment of migrants and asylum seekers.
As regards migrants, which will be accepted by the Member States at their own request, MEP Zver calls for the introduction of compulsory signing of integration agreements for migrants that would affirm their active readiness for integration, for example, by officially signing the newly created European Rights and Values Commitment.
By signing the above-mentioned Charter, migrants would pledge to accept all of Europe’s fundamental rights and live accordingly as well as to adopt the European “Leitkultur” (lifestyle).
As the Slovenian MEP and his Austrian counterparts are convinced, the signing of such a statement would increase the awareness of migrants that, if they want to live on European soil, they must integrate into European society.
In this regard, the Member stresses that, in case of non-respect of European fundamental rights, including violation of European legislation, the return/repatriation is a logical consequence.
In the framework of the recommendations on the financing of terrorism, MEP Milan Zver has also proposed that Member States should prohibit the financing of mosques and sacral buildings by third countries which do not respect the principles and values of the European Union or whose funding source is not clear.